Obtaining a diverse workforce is essential to business success — what is your personal definition of a “diverse” workforce?   

For The New York Times Company, a diverse workforce is one in which the employees of the company reflect the customer base and the communities in which it resides.  A "diverse" workforce is also one which is open to fully considering a variety of ideas and perspectives at all levels and one whose leadership values and reflects diversity as well. Sharing what this means to The New York Times, it's important to understand that we are driven by a simple but powerful mission:  to help readers understand the world. Building a diverse and inclusive workplace is essential to that mission. It enriches our report because journalists with diverse backgrounds reflect the society we cover. It’s critical for our business because The Times must reach new audiences in order to grow. And it’s important for our people, who thrive in a workplace that is fair, inclusive and rewarding to everyone.

You will be presenting on the topic “Enhancing Recruitment Strategies to Obtain a Diverse Workforce,” — why is it so important for companies to ensure D&I initiatives are being executed on the onset?   

Establishing recruitment practices to ensure a fair hiring process is important to help remove the implicit bias that can tend to be present throughout different stages of the hiring process.  Candidates should meet with a diverse interviewing team when being considered for an open position — this allows candidates to see that you value input from a diverse group when making important decisions.  
 
Despite organizations already starting to incorporate diversity & inclusion initiatives in their recruitment strategy, there still seems to be a lack of diversity in workforces. Why do you think this is and what are some of the strategies you have implemented to overcome them?    
 
Employee retention has the biggest impact on diversity and inclusion.  Companies have to be thoughtful and purposeful around culture, and transparent about how promotion decisions are made, avoiding favoritism and providing mentorship support.
Diversity and Inclusion must permeate all aspects of the organization, not merely recruitment.  If people don’t feel valued once they join the organization, our efforts are at risk to fail. At The Times, we are focusing on engagement, retention and career growth as we focus on inclusion holistically.

More and more organizations are starting to prioritize and see the importance of Diversity & Inclusion efforts. Why are you personally so passionate about this area? In your opinion, what impact can having a Diversity & Inclusive workplace have in the workplace?   

As a woman of color, I was often the only person of color in the room or the department.  
I know what it feels like to have a manager who has shown favoritism or to feel treated unfairly. I've also been a part of teams and workgroups that are diverse with creative outputs so I have seen the power of diversity.

What are you most looking forward to in attending this year’s Best Practices in Diversity & Inclusion Conference? 

Looking forward to sharing ideas and success stories as well as sharing challenges. Looking forward to getting inspired as well as energized around the work of D&I.